Christ Church CofE Primary School

Bitterne Community Pre-School Inspection report for early years provision

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148865 Unique Reference Number 11 July 2007 Inspection date Amanda Shedden Inspector

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Peartree Avenue, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 7RB Setting Address

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E-mail

Bitterne Community Pre-School Registered person Integrated Type of inspection Sessional care Type of care

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E-mail

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Bitterne Community Pre School opened at its present site in May 2001. It operates from a purpose built classroom, attached to the neighbouring Infant school, in Bitterne, Southampton. It expanded from the original group, which is located on a different site, but both are run by the same voluntary committee. The group serve the local community and surrounding areas.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 142 children from 2 to 5 years on roll. This includes 111 funded three year olds and four year olds. Bitterne Community Pre-school supports children with learning difficulties or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The pre-school offers sessional care and opens five mornings and five afternoons a week, during school term time. Sessions run from 9.00-11:30 am and 12:15-14:45.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are thirteen staff working with the children, eight of whom have early years qualifications, and two staff members are currently on training programmes. The pre- school receives support from the Local Authority.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are developing a good understanding of personal hygiene as they independently take themselves to the toilet. They recognise the need to follow good personal routines, washing their hands after using the toilet, before snack and after messy play. As a result, children have a good understanding about this practice.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a healthy environment because staff implement good hygiene procedures to help prevent the spread of infection. All of the staff have a relevant first aid qualification ensuring that if a child were to have an accident they would be treated appropriately. All required documentation concerning children's health is in place. Procedures are in place to ensure that accidents and the administration of medication are recorded correctly.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy their snack time. They sit in their key worker groups, the crockery is colour coded to match which group they are in and staff sit and converse with the children making it a social occasion. They become independent as they count how many plates and cups are needed, giving them out to the children on the table, they are encouraged to pour their own drinks and support is given until the child is able to accomplish this task themselves. Whilst having cereal for snack staff encourage children to listen to the cereal and converse about what other foods they enjoy. However, children are not able to self select drinks during the sessions to prevent them from becoming dehydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have many worthwhile experiences to develop their physical well being. Each day they access one or more of the three outdoor areas. Each area provides different activities and resources ensuring that children have a broad range to enjoy. They are able to learn to pedal bikes and ride scooters in the area adjacent to the pre school room which they do in small groups. Children using this area are in small groups ensuring that there is plenty of room to negotiate around each other. When using the school's playgrounds they all go together. One has a slide which the children need to climb the steps to reach and swing bars all of which are on a soft surface. The other fully fenced area has a wooden horse and carriage, a fort with a dragon guarding the entrance to the fort, a long boat and a balancing plank. Children really enjoy using this area; they run around, clamber onto the equipment and often hide underneath

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Helping children to be healthy

the draw bridge until they are found. Children make their own games up, they play hide and seek, practising their counting skills as they close their eyes while their friends hide. Children practise their climbing skills as they heave themselves onto the horse or onto the carriage.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The classroom offers a welcoming environment for the children and their parents. There are colourful displays reflecting colours, numbers, shapes and other languages, however, the display of children's work is limited. The furniture and equipment are suitable for the ages attending. Children move freely around the well layout room during free play sessions choosing what they would like to play with. Resources are rotated to ensure that children's interest is maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All areas of the pre school are safe, daily risk assessments are undertaken in each area before the children arrive to ensure that it is ready for the arrival of children. Staff and children regularly practise the fire drill ensuring that they would know what to do to evacuate safely. Access to

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 the provision is monitored, once a child has settled parents are encouraged not to enter the room but to hand their child over to a member of staff at the door, this ensures that no child can leave or enter without the staff knowing. There is an alarm on the door alerting staff if it is opened during the sessions.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All required documentation is in place and shared with parents to ensure a child's welfare is safeguarded. Staff are aware to follow the clear procedures which is in their policy if they had a concern over the welfare of a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. A key worker system is in place which entails helping to settle that child in, acting as a point of liaison between the pre school and parents, and completing observations records and assessments for those children. They undertake focused activities and snack time in their key worker ensuring that staff get to know their key worker children very well.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children arrive eager to join in with the activities; they settle quickly into the friendly atmosphere and structured routine. They readily sit for the circle time where they sit for a few moments looking at the number, colour and shape of the week. They count how many children are in today and identify the staff that are present giving the children a sense of security.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and children's learning is good. Children thrive in the calm and stimulating atmosphere and they have a positive attitude to learning. All staff have a good understanding of the Foundation Stage and how children learn. All children are actively involved in a range of interesting and worthwhile activities that help them to progress. Staff have positive interactions with the children during the free play sessions. They know the children well and are skilled at encouraging the children to build upon their own knowledge and experiences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The focused activities undertaken in each session are well planned and clearly link to the stepping stones. However, children are grouped in key worker groups and not ability. Consequently the more confident and able children gain most from the activity.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play well together and have positive relationships with each other and the staff. They are confident to talk in large groups situations such as circle time, and to converse with each other whilst playing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's language is developing well, staff encourage children to talk about what they are seeing and doing for instance when using the play dough. Staff help children develop in their pre reading and writing skills. Children read their names as they register their arrival, each week they look at a letter and the sounds it makes and the well laid out writing area encourages children to become familiar with using a range of writing implements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy the challenges of the computer games, they respond excitedly as they use the mouse and their memory to match the pairs. They also use the arrow keys to make the penguin jump the icebergs, concentrating hard to press the button at the right time. Some of the programmes require the children to touch the screen, making it easy for the less able children who have not yet mastered these skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are gaining an interest in the world around them and about change through well planned practical activities. The enthusiastic staff question the children as to what they think is going to happen and encourage them to talk about what has happened to the corn flour as water is poured onto it. Children are excited and amazed as they stir the mixture with their hands, they add colour to it and the children laugh and giggle as it sticks to them. Staff extend their conversations by asking what it feels like extending the children's vocabulary.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children listen attentively so they know what they need to find when they go for a walk in the woods. They each take a magnifying glass to enable them to look closely at their finds. The positive interaction from the staff encourages children to look at similarities and differences at a range of natural objects such as leaves. They jump up and down excitedly when they find something on the list proudly showing their find to the staff. They look closely at the wood louses, trying to count them as they run back under the up turned log. One child counted and stated four and four make eight!! Some children notice that they are different colours and staff ask good quality questions encouraging children to think and use their own ideas as to why they are different.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children gain confidence in using numbers for counting. They increase their knowledge of mathematical language through routine and incidental activities. For example they count at circle time and look at a different shape each week. Children concentrate and are offered good support from staff as they complete from a range of puzzles where they are encouraged to look at the different shapes to see how they may fit into each other. They are encouraged to mould the play dough to fit into different shape templates. Staff observe the children discussing and supporting their understanding, helping them to progress their individual understanding.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy numerous stimulating activities during their free play sessions. All staff know the children well enabling them to extend the child's learning across all areas. They support the children in using their imaginations, they use the resources well, for instance today there is "treasure" in the sand tray and the garden was used to go for a "bear hunt". Staff work with the children throughout the sessions, giving clear explanations and continually asking open ended questions which challenge and extend their learning.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are looked after in a caring environment, where they are valued and treated with respect and equal concern. They are frequently praised and therefore gain in confidence and self esteem. Children are interested, involved, and well occupied in their play and learning. Children's behaviour is very good. They benefit from positive role models provided by the staff and they respond well to adult intervention. Children are confident in knowing the rules of the pre-school and respond well to reminders to care for each other and the resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with additional needs are supported well; the pre-school enlist help from other agencies and people in their community to ensure that they are meeting the individual needs of the children and their parents. Children spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents of all children, including those in receipt of nursery funding are provided with information about the pre-school's policies and procedures; thus ensuring that they are fully aware of the practises and routines of the setting. Good use is made of the many windows where information such as the planning of activities and which area of the Foundation Stage it is linked to is displayed keeping parents fully informed. Regular

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 newsletters are sent out inviting parents to come and help in the group, inviting them to look at their child's records and further information about the terms activities. Staff consult with parents to identify areas where they feel their child would benefit from additional support. Parents state that they are very happy with the pre-school and are kept informed about their child's experiences and progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are at ease within the environment, which is well organised, making good use of staff time and resources, providing good play opportunities for children. Space is used well, ensuring children are able to move around freely and safely. During free play sessions staff are designated an area to work in, however they are proactive in moving around the room to ensure that the children are being continually supervised and supported; the staff work well as a team and are experienced in working with children.

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Organisation

Effective procedures for the appointment of staff are in place ensuring the protection of children at all times. All required documentation is in place, and is stored securely thus maintaining confidentiality. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Organisation

Leadership and management is good. The pre-school has two sites and all of the staff and children attend both venues on different days. This works well offering children two different environments. This also ensures that ratio's are always met as all staff are experienced in working in both settings. Training is encouraged to increase staff's knowledge and skills. The supervisors ensure that all staff are encouraged to share ideas and contribute to the planning and evaluation of the activities. The parent committee and the staff work together to continually develop and improve children's care and education.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the pre-school needed to improve their practise by further developing a medication policy and to share the policies with parents. All medications given are now signed by the parents ensuring they are fully aware if their child has received medication and parents are required to give written information if their child has had medication before attending the pre school. All parents now receive copies of the policies and procedures ensuring that they are aware of the practises of the pre-school.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection they were required to look at the planning of the role play and key group activities to allow for more variation and for staff to be involved in the planning. The role play area is now changed regularly and staff ensure that the group activities are interesting and varied keeping the child's interests. Staff now contribute to the planning, giving them opportunities to become more involved with the curriculum.

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Improvements since the last inspection

They were also asked to improve the programme for knowledge and understanding of the world to include increased opportunities for children to find out about the local and wider environment and to learn about other people’s cultures and beliefs. This is now fully incorporated into the planning and this area is one of the strengths of the pre-school. Children learn about the environment around them and through plans and incidental opportunities they learn about other cultures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Oftsed.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • display children work to encourage a better sense of belonging. • ensure that children are easily able to access drinks throughout the sessions

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • further develop children's learning opportunities during focused activities.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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